The rocky outcroppings of Needle Hills are home to many rich unobtanium deposits, evidenced by the spire-like rock formations found throughout the region. Several exploratory mining operations have confirmed exceptionally beautiful "needles" of the ore woven throughout the cliffs, earmarking this region for future large scale development.

Needle Hills is also the nesting ground for several large flocks of migratory mountain banshees, a sub-genus of the species known to return to the cliffs each year to nest in their old banshee nests. Similar to the long extinct swallows of Capistrano on Earth, the Needle Hills banshee migration has become one of the more renowned sights in the Pandoran skies.

Though at first the skies over Needle Hills are infested by banshees, Able Ryder manages to destroy several banshee nests in a Scorpion Gunship, thinning their numbers enough for SecOps to fight back with a mass deployment of their own Scorpions against the banshees. Thereafter, explosions and gunfire can be heard overhead as Scorpions dogfight with banshees.

The RDA have established a lucrative mining base in the heart of the canyon system - the Ignazu Mining Complex. It is under siege by banshees at first, but soon manages to get repairs completed along with its defenses up and running soon after Able Ryder's arrival; when re-entering Needle Hills, the Ignazu Mining Complex defenses are able to kill intruders with relative impunity.